The players in Room3 are keeping busy. After building up a reputation in the past handful of years for electrifying live shows the band has finally released some recorded material and they’re preparing for a performance on Friday, January 31 at First Ave as part of the Best New Bands concert. Keyboardist Eli Awada and...Read More
After years of sessions and casual collaborations, trumpet player Omar Abdul-Karim and pianist Kavyesh Kaviraj have forged a collaborative project. The quartet, which also features Ted Olsen on bass and Kevin Washington on drums, will perform on Tuesday, January 28 at the Dakota. Sean McPherson from the Afternoon Cruise caught up with the duo to...Read More
On January 14, Sean McPherson from Jazz88 headed down to Whitey’s Old Town Saloon in Northeast Minneapolis to check out a weekly Tuesday jam session helmed by bassist Graydon Peterson. Check out audio of the jam session, details about how to get involved and interviews with key players from the night. This interview originally aired...Read More
Percussionist Bill Summers described music as a “religious undertaking” when he connected with Jazz88’s Sean McPherson to discuss the recent Headhunters record and their upcoming performance at the Dakota. Summers was joined by their drummer Mike Clark and the conversation covered iconic moments from Headhunters history, the group’s current lineup and their concern for musicians...Read More
The celebrated vocalist Bruce Henry is back in town to perform a concert on Saturday at the Dakota titled “Everyone Under the Sun: A Celebration of Unity and Love.” Henry connected with Sean McPherson to discuss how he and the band will use Martin Luther King Jr. as a point of departure to build community...Read More
Jazz88 is happy to be a part of the thriving Minnesota Jazz scene. Year after year the players from this town deliver the goods with stellar performances and masterful recordings. This year, our Minnesota Jazz Tracks host Sam Keenan compiled the top twenty local tracks as voted on by the listeners of the Jazz88. Thanks...Read More
2024 has been a magical year in the world of new releases. Many long-awaited releases from the most revered names in jazz saw the light of day. We also discovered new artists who took a huge leap forward this calendar year. Jazz88 is proud to celebrate the Top 20 songs of 2024 as voted on...Read More
In 2024 the world saw the passing of some of the most iconic jazz artists, composers and personalities in the music’s history. Listen below to celebrate these artists and hear some of their most celebrated recordings! Artists Featured: Les McCann September 23, 1935 – December 29, 2023 Marlena Shaw September 22, 1939 –...Read More
Before Stanley Jordan was a household name he was getting his career started with Madison, Wisconsin serving as his home base. The young player made routine trips up to the Twin Cities and he credits the Twin Cities as the first major metro area where he built up a fanbase. Even though Jordan can now...Read More
Pianist Bryan Nichols is embarking on a new chapter in his musical life. On Saturday, Dec. 21, he launches a new quintet to navigate his original compositions. The group premieres at Berlin and he’ll be joined by Sophia Kickhofel (sax), Jake Baldwin (trumpet), Dan Carpel (bass), and JT Bates (drums). Nichols was nice enough to...Read More
